I Dare You to Understand Me
by Glorytommy
Summary: Sometimes she dreams of him. Adventures so vivid she swears he's really there.
1. Ch 1 - Of Manners and Personal Space

**Summary;** Sometimes she dreams of him. Adventures so vivid she swears he's really there.

**A/N;** I've been meaning to do this for a while, so here we are. I warn you now that while I love the marvel universe I am by all means NOT an expert. So I'll be using the movies and internet research to help me out, but if you see something that doesn't seem right then please do tell me.

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**Chapter 1** – Of Manners and Personal Space

Matters of the heart are complicated. They often conflict with reason, and the mind was something too important to muddle with such foolishness. This was Ambrosia's philosophy, mantra, and way of life. And anyway, it wasn't like she had an interest in anyone. Not since _him_, anyway.

.

.

.

She had only been fourteen when she met him. The day was hot and humid so she had taken refuge in the shade of the forest. The halls of the orphanage were too noisy and riddled with children who did not see her as their equal. No way would she ever be able to rest in peace there. Not to mention with no air conditioner, it was hotter in the building than it was outside.

In the forest there was a cross breeze and it was quiet. To young Ambrosia it was the perfect place to write her thoughts.—A pastime she had long ago picked up.

Notebook clutched in hand, she walked deeper into the forest to a place where no one would find her unless she wanted to be found. Often times she had pondered spending eternity there, but an empty belly always had her thinking otherwise.

The moment that Ambrosia made it to her special place, she was met with a most peculiar sight.

A young man, of all things, sprawled out on the forest floor, his head resting against her sitting stump. His appearance all on it's own was enough to halt her steps. He was strange and foreign, wearing odd formal material of a prince that made it seem like he had stepped out of a story book. The fact that she had never seen him before was another shocker, she had only ever met the children and the sisters of the orphanage. No one else was allowed on grounds without permission.

While most would have fled at the sight of a stranger, more so one in such ridiculous garb, Ambrosia found herself drawing closer and kneeling at his side. Rather than sleeping, he looked unconscious, as if maybe he'd hit his head on her stump. From what she could see he was still breathing, which was a good sign… probably.

Reaching out a hand, Ambrosia brushed his dark hair back from out of his face to get a better look, but found her fingers lingering at his temple. Had her skin not been of a darker complexion, she feared she would have visibly flushed. He was young and handsome, looking not too much older than herself now that she truly looked at him.

Perhaps 16?

So not a man… but a boy.

Though, that still did not explain his appearance or the fact he was in the woods. These were private grounds. Not public property. The sisters here were not kind like those from other places. They would call the police on him if they ever spotted him. They had no tolerance for trespassers.

She didn't care much for the women.

In her daze, Ambrosia did not catch the older boy stir until his hand wrapped around her wrist. Inhaling sharply, she moved to pull back but his grip on her only tightened.

It was strange. Normally even older men had trouble holding her down, but a boy only slightly older than herself seemed to do it with ease.

"Hey, let me go, that hurts," Ambrosia ordered, eyebrows furrowed.

The boy moaned, but held tight as his eyes fluttered open to reveal haughtily green orbs. His other hand went to his head, as he stared questionably at his surroundings before focusing on her.

"What is your name?" He questioned, evenly with an accent she noticed was foreign. Seeming unusually calm for someone who seemed so out of place.

Ambrosia did not answer at first, lips firmly set as she regarded him. She did not know what to make of him yet. "That's kind of rude…" she said after a moment, raising a brow and straightening her posture. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

If the sisters ever pushed one thing into Ambrosia's mind it was manners. Not that she was an expert in them, far from it in fact.

The boy loosened his grip on her wrist ever so slightly. "Says the maiden touching a man while he rests."

Ambrosia scoffed, turning her head away to hide the embarrassment of being caught doing something so silly. "You're trespassing, I don't think you have the right to talk boundaries," she mumbled back in retaliation.

"Yes…" he seemed to agree, sitting himself up so that they were eye level. "and where am I, exactly?"

"Just inside the grounds of Sanctuary…" Ambrosia told him cautiously. How was it that he didn't even know where he was? Had he really hit his head that hard?

"And where is that?" he prodded her, obviously having no clue where that was.

"…Delaware," she told him hesitantly, not sure where this was going.

"I need more information than that..."

"_Earth_," feeling a little annoyed, she said it a bit like a smartass. Surely he was just playing with her.

"...Midgard then," he muttered, paying her no mind as he dropped her hand and stood. "So it worked."

"What worked?" She questioned, suddenly curious as she rose with him. "What's Midgard?"

The boy regarded her for a moment before patrolling their perimeter. "Is there anyone else around?"

Not sure whether to answer that question to a suspicious stranger, she didn't answer quick enough, to which he seemed to rightfully assume the answer was no.

"What are you doing out in a forest by yourself?" He questioned, stepping in her direction. Suddenly curious about her.

"I like being alone," she answered truthfully, not really sure why. She assumed it had something to do with the way he looked at her, as if he'd know if she was lying. "It's better that way."

"I see," now he seemed even more curious. "That seems rather lonely. I'm sure your parents worry."

Ambrosia scoffed a little bitterly at this. "It comes with being the orphan that no one wants."

"Orphan?" he spoke carefully now, seeming not to have expected the word.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't," Ambrosia held up her hand and shook her head. "I've heard enough sorrys for a lifetime."

For a moment a silence fell between them before the boy turned, and began walking again. An old oak tree catching his eyes. "Loki," he said as he fingered the bark.

"What?" Abrosia replied dumbly, not following.

"My name," he explained, not looking at her.

"Oh," she nodded absently, feeling a bit silly for not realizing. "Ambrosia."

He glanced her way for a moment. "Interesting name."

"So is yours," she countered.

He smiled cheekily, "I would love to stay and chat, but there will be a search partly if I am gone too long. We must continue this at a later date, I'm afraid."

Dejected by this news, Ambrosia merely nodded. The sisters tended to love to seclude her from the visitors that were permitted to come to the orphanage, so she didn't have much of a chance to talk to knew people. It was only now that she realized how much she had been enjoying their strange chat. Not to mention there was still questions to be answered.

"Until next time," with those parting words, Loki walked behind the tree and out of sight.

Blinking, Ambrosia cautiously took a few steps to the side but could not see any sign of the boy. He was gone. Dumbfounded, she stared at the tree for hours trying to figure out how such a thing was possible, and left her favorite spot only as night began to fall.


	2. Ch 2 - Of Bruises and Hostility

**Chapter 2** – Of Bruises and Hostility

With a pained hiss, Ambrosia plopped down onto her sitting stump. Her back side was sore from the paddle the sisters had taken to it and, to add to the pain, her arms were still bruised from the ruler just days before.

Ambrosia was not liked much by the sisters, she was a bright student who asked too many questions. Her pain tolerance was higher than the other kids, so they had to use a lot more force when punishing her. Her skin, however, suffered for it.

Rubbing her forearm, Ambrosia glanced around the forest. Three months had passed since her encounter with Loki, and she still wasn't sure what to make of it. So many questions she'd had and hadn't been given the chance to ask them before he'd disappeared. Of course, he had made it seem like he would come back, but she hadn't seen him since then and was sure he had just been in her imagination.

That's what the sisters would have told her anyway, if she had been stupid enough to tell them that was. They would just find her insane if she had sprouted nonsense about an oddly dressed boy disappearing into thin air.

Heck, she was beginning to think she had undergone momentary madness. She could find no other way to explain it.

With a sigh, Ambrosia opened her notebook and began to write about her day. Not that she had much to write about. When she wasn't being scolded or "learning" she was out in the woods. So really, the only thing she could right about were the things that came to mind. For example, how much she despised vegetables or how much of a jerk one of the other children had been. Aside from her unexpected find a few months ago (who may or may not have been real), not many things happened to her.

"Are you writing about me?" A voice asked, so close to Ambrosia's ear that she could feel breath at the back of her neck. Instantly she leaned away and quickly turned around, hazel eyes connecting with familiar green ones.

Remembering to breath, the girl snapped her notebook closed and glared at him. "Jerk. You scared me."

Standing at his full height, he gave her a smug look. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings, I was here for a good few moments before making my presence known."

At this reveal, the girl stared down at her notebook. "You were reading over my shoulder, weren't you?"

"A bit."

"Who does that?!" she flailed, not sure whether to be annoyed or embarrassed.

"Should I not have, then? I merely spotted my name on a page and grew curious." He told her coyly.

Tugging at her lip between her teeth, she rolled her eyes and bit out another "Jerk."

"So you keep calling me," he retorted boredly, waving a hand dismissively.

Huffing, Ambrosia rose from her seat and squared her stance. "Who are you?"

Loki stared at her as if she were daft, "Have you forgotten? I have already given you my name—"

"That's not what I mean." She sighed, crossing her arms, "Why are you here? Where did you come from."

The boy laughed dryly and scratched his head, "I have a feeling you won't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Pursing his lips, he stared at her. "Why are you always so hostile? You were like this last time we met too…"

"What are you talking about? Stop changing the subject."

"Oh, your upset about something else… aren't you?"

"No…"

He moved closer till they were at arm's length. "You are."

"No!" Ambrosia moved to push him away, but he caught her hand, green eyes scanning her bruised arm. She tried to pull back but he wouldn't let her go.

Eyebrows furrowing he looked into her eyes, "What happened to your arm?"

"Fell," she said almost instantly. It's what the sisters always taught them to say, and while she didn't enjoy being with them, she didn't know what would happen if she said otherwise. Sanctuary was the only home she knew, after all.

Loki frowned, not believing her for a second. "This doesn't look like just a fall."

"Does it matter? What's it to you? We barely know each other."

Not having an answer to this, he dropped his hand. They stood there for a moment, toe to toe, before he stepped back and took a seat on her stump.

"I am Loki of Asgard, second son to Odin," he said after a moment.

"Asgard?" she questioned, taking a seat on the forest floor in front of him. Part of her thought him a bit insane (had so for a while now), but she didn't voice it since he seemed to finally want to answer all the questions she'd had since their first encounter.

"Where I come from, is a realm much different from this."

Ok.

He really was starting to sound insane. She half expected him to tell her he was joking, but he looked at her with unwavering seriousness. It would be just her luck to get involved with a nutcase.

...But say he was right. "Why come here?"

"Curiosity," he told her simply. "In my home it is a common misconception that the BiFrost is the only way to cross the 9 realms. But I proved that theory wrong."

"BiFrost?"

"In simple terms it is a bridge between worlds."

She still wasn't really following, but she'd humor him. "Right… Ok… So, what's this "Asgard" place like?"


End file.
